


Open Water

by royaigarbage



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga
Genre: Abuse, Aftermath of Violence, Angst, Angst and Feels, Canon Compliant, Character Development, Child Abuse, Child Neglect, Childhood Friends, Childhood Trauma, Coming of Age, Domestic Violence, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, FMA Manga, Feels, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Hurt/Comfort, I Will Go Down With This Ship, Minor Character Death, Pre-Canon, Royai - Freeform, Teenagers, Young Royai, fma fanfic, shipping feels
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-23
Updated: 2018-11-23
Packaged: 2019-08-11 00:05:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,037
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16464896
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/royaigarbage/pseuds/royaigarbage
Summary: For nearly her whole life, Riza Hawkeye had never felt the love of her father, being neglected, abused, and tormented. Ever since her mother died, she's had no one to go to, that is, until her father's budding apprentice, Roy Mustang arrives.





	Open Water

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> o·ver·ture  
> [ˈōvərCHər, ˈōvərˌCHo͝or]
> 
> 1\. an introduction to something more substantial.

The brisk autumn air of east city coaxed Roy Mustang back into consciousness. The train to his future had stopped, and after a long ride, he was finally at his destination. He pulled the letter Master Hawkeye had wrote him and looked it over multiple times, and he began his shorter journey. The directions in the letter told him to walk towards the very end of town, and he skeptically did so. 

I’m sure he made a mistake, the boy thought to himself. The master couldn’t possibly live this secluded from the rest of the town. East city was already plenty small, but following a dirt trail for a quarter mile seemed a bit excessive. It was certainly a foreign feeling, having grown up in central, one of the biggest cities in Amestris. Roy was used to big buildings and houses on every corner, not to mention the noise. Now, all he can think of is how quiet and small this place really was. It would definitely take some getting used to, but he wasn’t here for comfort, he was here to become a better alchemist.

Once he looked up, he was standing in front of an enormous house with an unkempt yard and wildflowers blooming everywhere. This must be it, he silently told himself. It fit the description perfectly. Old, large, and hidden. 

His boots continued to move forward as he reached the front door, dragging a large suitcase behind him. Roy gives a strong knock, once… and once more for good measure. He then waits patiently for only less than thirty seconds, but to him, it felt like an eternity.  
After the excruciatingly long feeling wait, the door opens and he’s not confronted with a grim looking man, but instead with wide brown doe eyes and porcelain skin. A frail looking girl, the last thing he would expect to greet him. I must have the wrong house, this is humiliating.

“You must be Roy Mustang. Father’s been expecting you.” The girl said so softly that it was barely even audible.

The master never mentioned he had a daughter. Roy was puzzled, not quite understanding why that wasn’t mentioned in the letter. But he shrugged it off and walked behind the daughter into the house. He followed her up and into the large attic, barely having time to look at his surroundings while they walked.

Berthold Hawkeye sat at a desk deserted in the corner of the dimly lit room, the girl spoke again,

“Pardon me father, sir, Roy Mustang is here.”

He looks up at them, and Roy grimaced, the mans face was oddly thin and he looked deprived of sunlight. Master Hawkeye seemed as if he had not eaten in weeks. 

“Ah, it seems he is, you are excused Riza.” The master said gruffly.

Roy gulped, for hearing the tone of this man did not settle well with him, but nevertheless, he continued to remain gracefully composed. Looking over his shoulder, he sees the girl, supposedly named Riza, quietly shut the door, leaving him and this strange man all alone together. 

***

Roy carefully shut the door behind him after being bombarded with rules and expectations for his time with Master Hawkeye. 

He sluggishly made his way to the bedroom his daughter had showed him earlier and dramatically flopped onto the bed in exhaustion. He contemplated if this was really a good idea. He figured the apprenticeship would be difficult, but this kind of treatment on the first day alone was enough to make him wary of his decision. 

Though the thoughts fleeted his mind as soon as they came, he wasn’t going to give up that easily. He was resilient, and he was prepared to show master Hawkeye just how strong he really was, but as of the present moment, he just realized the churning in his stomach. He presumed since the fear had rested itself in his abdomen, his mind forgot about the bare necessity of food. 

Roy hesitated to go to the kitchen, for he was afraid that his master wouldn’t be happy if he ate at a time that wasn’t designated for a meal, but when he checked the clock on his bedside table, the time read approximately nine in the evening. He was positive that if there was a set dinner time then it would have been earlier, so he warily walked down the stairs and into the kitchen.

At the bottom of the steps, he turned a corner and walked into the kitchen and dining area. Surprisingly, he was greeted with the master’s daughter, who’s name he had learned was Riza. She stood like a deer in headlights, a plate of food in one hand, and a glass of water in the other. 

As soon as their eyes made brief contact, she shied away and squeaked out, “Help yourself to the on the stove, if it doesn’t fit your likings, I can prepare something different for you Mr. Mustang.”

Her voice was so quiet, Roy could barely make out what she was saying, but responded kindly, “Oh! You didn’t have to go through all that trouble just for me, I’m sure that whatever you have made will be perfectly wonderful. Thank you.” 

And with that, Riza scampered up the stairs. He pondered how someone could be so shy, her attitude didn’t match the size of the house. The rugged building stood tall and grungy, whereas she was tiny and neat, afraid to even look him in the eyes, although, for the short time where their eyes did meet, he noticed how delicate they were. It was as if he stared for too long, the glass would break.

He couldn’t help but feel a tinge of disappointment, not because she was shy, but because the only chance he had for companionship was now pretty much demolished. It was clear that she didn’t want anything to do with him, and the town didn’t exactly strike him as the type with anyone his age. But he wouldn’t let this bother him too much, he was here to study alchemy, not to make friends, and although the thought was appealing, he tried to stay optimistic. Because there really was no benefit of pouting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this is my first multichapter Royai piece. Not gonna lie, I'm nervous to put this out, but we all got to get out of our comfort zone sometimes. Let me know your thoughts, and if you like it, leave kudos! It means a lot!  
> \- Abi


End file.
